Los Angeles, July 29 (DPA) Marat Safin and Marcos Baghdatis both snapped lengthy dry spells on court at the Los Angeles Open tennis to reach the second round.
Eighth-seed Safin, the former number one and two-time Grand Slam champion set to retire at age 29 in November, rode a roller coaster to put out last week's Indianapolis winner Robby Ginepri 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
The victory gives Safin, winner of 15 titles, a modest 8-12 record for a season in which he has struggled.
'Throughout the years, you have to live with tennis 24/7. There is no way you're gonna leave and like for days relax and not think about it. Sooner or later you're gonna think about tennis,' he has complained.
Baghdatis, ranked 146, who lost the 2006 Australian Open final, overcame Indy semi-finalist Canadian Frank Dancevic 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 in the first round.
Safin earned his last ATP win in the first round of the French Open in late May while Baghdatis was stretchered off a court in the Netherlands a month ago, missing Wimbledon with a knee injury.
Baghdatis made a recovery in the wake of last week's Indianapolis opening loss as he returned to tennis.